Camera latch



A. STUBER.

CAMERA LATCH Sept. 15, 1931.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16, 1929 Sept. 15, 1931. A. STUBER 1,823,299

CAMERA LATCH Filed Dec. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EBA- ll lllmnllllll VIII/14f gwuwtoz Adolph Sfube'n wzffiww 'anonrn sruaaa, or aocansrnra,

. fgrapluc cameras.

A ventlon is to provide alatch Patented Sept. 15 1931 UNITEDJSTATES PATENT OFFICE rm, or nocrmsrm,

This invention relates to photography,

' L and more particularly to latches for photo- One object of my invenpfovide a latch for photographic cameras w 'chmay securely hold aremovable part in place. Another object of my inin which the latching member'itself is locked in an operative position, preventing accidental displacement' of the removable part. Another object of my invention is to provide a latch phic cameras which is simple tion s to for photogr in operation and which permits a remova le part on a camera to be readily attached and released from the camera'itself, and other objects will appear from the following specifications, the novel featuresbeing particular- 1y pointed out in the claims at the end -ther eof ."j

Coming now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote like. parts throughoutz. I

Figure 1 is=a side elevation of a camera having'a "removable part constructed in acform of my invention. 7

a Figure 2 side of a camera taken :from' the camera body, showing the latching mechanism. 80 Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are enlar ed fragmentary views of the latching mec amsm, parts being shown in sections and 85' through the latching Fi re 1. 1 or the pu mechanisms shown in ose of illustrating my invention, I have s own the camera to be of the compact motion picturetype and the re movable art to be the .removable side through w ich film is loaded into .the camera for exposure. I 7

According] in Figure 1 the camera designated broa 1y I a vided with the'usual objective mount 2 and a removable door 3. By openin this door the camera parts are e'grposed an film may be loaded into osition for exposureas is well known in; e art.

-cordance with and embodying a preferred- 1s a plan dew of the removable Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view as 1 is shown as being pros ,ms'w Yonx, Assronon zro nasrman xonnx oomzmw Yon-x, a oonroaa'rron on NEW YORK cum n mm; Application filed December is. 1929. Serial No. 1 14,402.

In order to hold the door on the camera I provide a latching mechanism which consists'on the outside of the door of a handle 4 which may be slid between two positions, in one of which the camera side is latched on the camera and in the other position the camera latch is released. w

The handle 4, as best shown in Figure 6, is mounted upon a stud 5 which may turn freely on its support and which is attached "to a sliding member 6 which holds one set of latchin parts. As best shown in Figure 3,-the sli ing member 6 is rovided with hooklike ends 7 and 8, end 7 ein adapted to engage in an aperture 9 and en s 8 being adapted to engage in openings 10. When the book 7 lies in' the aperture 9 and the hooks 8 lie in the apertures 10, the camera side 3'is held agalnst removal fromthe. camera body 11. I

e camera side 3 is preferably provided with downwardly extending flanges 12 which fit into, a rabbet 13 extending around the camera body 11 so as to .make a light I tight joint. As best shown in Figure 3, the slidingmember 6 carries a single hook 7 onone end of a bar 14 and carries two hooks 8 at the opposite end, these hooks being formed from a cross bar 15 which is attached to the end 14 of the bar 6. Member 15 is provided with a pair of parallel slots 17 through which studs 18 pass these studs permitting sliding movement of the bar, but limiting the extent of such movement.

To latch and unlatch the hooks 8 and 7 with their cooperating parts on the camera body as before described the handle 4 is moved between one of two positions b moving the handle through a slot 19 w ich is cut throu h the outside of the camera wall. As thus ardescribed, the construction of the camera side latch ispsubstantially like that shown in the prior art.

Coming now particularly to my invention as illustrated in the last three figures the handle 4, which is revolvably mounted on the stud 5, as previously described, is constructed as follows The stud 5 is preferably provided with zoo .be accomplished two flat sides 21 and two rounded ends 22, therounded ends being of such curvature that they are free to turn in the rounded opening 23 at the end of a slot 24. The sides of this slot are parallel and are of such a width that they-will ermit the fiat sides 21 of the stud 5 to sli e freely therein. In effect, the sides 25 of the slot form rails which guide the movement of the stud 5.

\ With this arrangement the handle 5 may slide between an operative and-an inoperative position, the stud 5 sliding through the greater'part of this movement without turning and being permitted to turn only at one end of the slot, which is the end at which the camera side is latched to the camera.

As best shown in Figure 5, the base 26 of the handle is provided with an arcuate slot 27 which extends through roughly 180 degrees. This slot is closed at one end 28 and is formed outwardly at, 29 to extend through the edge wall of the handle. The slot 27 is of such a width that it may engage and slide about a pin 30 which is carried in the recess 31 of the camera wall.

With the parts shown in the position in Figure 6, the handle may be slid in the direction shown by the arrow so that the open end 29 of the. slot will be brought into engagement with the pin 30. The handle may be then rotated upon its stud 5 so that the slot 27 is made to pass over the pin 30 until the end 28 of the slot strikes the pin and stops further movement. The handle can be conveniently moved by means of a flange 131 which extends upwardly from the remaining part of the handle.

Obviously this turning movement can only sition for the rounded sides 22 to turn in the rounded opening 23.

In Figure 5 the position of the handle is shown when turned a part way round.

As is obvious from this fi re, the slot 27 engages both sides of the pin 30 so that the handle can not be slid in the slot. Further.

movement of the handle in the direction shown by the arrow will cause the end of the slot 28 to come to a stop against the pin 30. This turning movement will move the fiat sides 21 of the stud 5 in position to slide into the slot 24, but this sliding movement will, of course, be prevented to the engagement of the pin 30 with the slot 27 The operation of this latching device is extremely simple. With the camera cover latched in place as indicated in Figure 1 and with the handle 4 in the position. shown in this figure, in order to release the latch the handle 4 is turned through substantially 180 degrees. This turning movement brings the pin 30 opposite the open end 29 of slot 27 and permits the handle to be brought to its lnoperative position, which is at the left of the slot 19, as shown in Figure 1.

when the shaft 21 is in po.-'

When the handle is slid in the slot the end with the cross bar 15, the hooks 14, together 7 and 8 are all removed -from their'cooperfrom the slots 9 and ating parts, that is,

3 to be come to a stop in this gagement with the slot 27 and this turning movement is continued until it comes to a stop, at which time the handle is in an operative position in which the camera side is latched firmly on the camera.

It might be noted greater part of the handle 4 is mounted in sliding movement, it is turned since the pin 30 will then be in enfrom Figure 6 that the the recessportion 31 in the side walliof the camera, so that very little of it, to be exact,

only the handle 131, extends beyond the plane of the camera wall. By thus mounting the handle 5, there is very little chance of the halndle 5 being struck and damaged accidental y. 4

Having thus described invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a latch for. cameras including two relatively movable parts, the combinatlon with a movably mounted latching member, said latching member being slidably mounted on one part, of a complementary latching device on the? other art, and means for moving the slidable Patching member, including a pivotally mounted handle adapted to slide with the latching member between two ositions, a pin and slot on the latching han 1e and the camera part on which the movably mounted latching member is mounted, said pin and slot being brought into engagement by moving the handle to one extentof its movement, whereby the handle may'be turned, engaging the pin in slot and latching the handle in a fixed position.

2. In a latch for photographic cameras including two relatively movable parts, the combination with a movably mounted latching member latching device on the other part, and means for engaging the latching member including a ivotally mounted handle, a support for sald pivotall mounted handle including a stud attache ing member, a groove in the handle,-a stud adapted to engage the groove mounted on a camera part, said pin and groove forming a latch for holding the handle in a fixed position when the latching members are coopto the movably mounted latch-' on one part, of a complementary on the camera.

3. In a latch for cameras including two I relatively movable parts, the combination with a movably mounted latching member on one part, of a complementary latching device on the other part and means f for moving the latching members into enga ement, including a movably mounted handle adapted to slide to enga e and disengage thelatching members an? adapted to turn without altering the position of the latchin 10 members, a second latch includin a pin an slot, one of which is carried by t e movable handle and the other of which is carried by a fixed part, said pin and slot being adapted to engage by turmn said handle.

4. In a latch for p otographic cameras ineluding two relatively movable parts, the combination with a movably mounted latching member on one side, of a complementary latching device on the other part, and means for moving the latching member including a stud and a handle mounted to turn on'the stud, said handle being adapted to move the movabl mounted latching member by slidingsai handle on said camera part and a pin and slot on the handle and camera part adapted to cooperate to latch the camera handle by rotating said handle u on its stud, whereby sliding movement of t e movably mounted latching member maybe pre vented.

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 12th day of December, 1929.

ADOLPH STUBER. 

